Violets Are Blue
by Cosima-wants-the-D-elphine
Summary: Given the following AU: sometimes I steal flowers from your garden on my way to the cemetery, but today you caught me and demanded to come with me to see the girl who was beautiful enough to warrant flower theft and I'm trying to find a way to break it to you that we're on our way to the graveyard.
1. Chapter 1: My Star

They were perfect.

Carmilla couldn't get over just how physically flawless each individual petal looked on each flower and their deep shade of violet captivated her. The stems stood erect and the flowers themselves stretched toward the sky, taking in any ray of light they could get—though at this very moment, it wasn't very much because the shade from Carmilla's body blocked them. These were the type of flowers that deserved to be on the cover of Fine Gardening or some other agricultural magazine and in all her 335 years of living, never had she seen such pristine floral beauty. It'd be a shame if anything, even something as minute as a breeze, were to disturb them.

She stared at them for one moment more before shrugging, getting down on her hands and knees, and digging—around of them, of course. Her goal was not to kill or even harm these flowers. All she wanted was to uproot them and transfer them to the grave of her late lover, Ell.

Ell wouldn't have liked what she was doing. Ell was the purest form of mankind as far as Carmilla knew. Never had she stolen anything, never had she intentionally hurt someone, and never had she told a lie—even if it were a white lie, and those didn't even really count as far as Carmilla was concerned. Ell, like these flowers, was immaculate.

Carmilla successfully dug a single flower up and went to work on a second. Such floral theft came easily to her, as she'd stolen flowers from this very garden numerous times in the past.

It wasn't like she did it every week whenever she could make it to the cemetery. She maybe did it once or twice a month. This garden always had the best flowers, that much was true, but Carmilla had an extra soft spot for violets as they had been Ell's favorite kind. The gardener would replant new ones whenever Carmilla took the previous sets and so it was a vicious, never ending cycle for the person and a steady, guaranteed rotation for Carmilla.

She—the gardener, that is—Carmilla could tell it was a she because of her handwriting—had even left a few passive aggressive notes to Carmilla, who simply stuck them to the mailbox or the underside of the lid of the garbage can when it was garbage pickup day so the person would find them later.

The first note, which had appeared after two or three occurrences, had gone something like this:

 _Dear Violet Stealer,_

 _Stop stealing my violets,  
THIEF!  
Have a nice day. :)_

And the second like this:

 _To the person stealing my violets:_

 _The other flowers have informed me that they're angered by the violets' disappearances. You may not be aware that I know that flowers do not have legs and just get up and walk away, so I know you're still taking them. Here are FIVE (5) easy steps you can take to obtain your OWN violets:_

 _1\. Go to Garden Barn with some form of payment ready.  
2\. Locate violets—in case this is difficult, they're violet in color.  
3\. Pick the violets of your choice.  
4\. Take them to the register.  
5\. PAY for them._

 _After that, you will have successfully gotten your very own violets! Congrats!_

Carmilla couldn't help but leave a reply to that, so she'd written a note saying that she'd gotten step number three down, but was having difficulties with the other four steps and stuck it to the little red flag on the girl's mailbox. She'd smiled for the entire duration of her trip to the cemetery that day just imagining the look on her face.

Today's read:

 _Dear Flower Thief,_

 _I hope you're enjoying my violets.  
REMINDER: Garden Barn has them too, in case you ever want to pay for them instead of STEALING them._

Carmilla ignored the note while she dug up the rest of the violets and covered the groove she'd created. She reread the note and smirked at it before scribbling a reply underneath it.

 _I am. Thanks._

She then stuck it to the mailbox flag, picked up the flowers, and started on her way. She must've only gotten three steps past the mailbox when she heard the door to the house bust open and a voice shout at her.

"Caught ya, thief!"

She turned to see a girl about her age with light brunette hair rushing toward her wearing an adorably annoyed expression.

"I knew if I waited long enough, I'd eventually catch you in the act," she remarked as she approached.

"And it only took you five months to think up a clearly well-thought, elaborate trap?" Carmilla snarked. "You must be a _genius_ , cupcake…"

The girl's eyes went to the note on the mailbox and she walked over to it, ripped it off the flag and read it, much to Carmilla's amusement.

"'I AM?'" she shrilly quoted the two-sentence response. "' _THANKS?_ '"

"Yeah. They're beautiful," Carmilla nodded as she spun on her heel and continued on her way as if it were nothing.

"Wh— Flower theft? Really? Out of all the things you could be stealing, you choose violets? From _my_ garden?"

"Yeah. Did I not just say they were beautiful?" Carmilla asked, never looking back at her.

"Oh, no. You do not just get to walk away without an explanation!" the girl called after her. "Get back here!"

"Mm, I don't think so," Carmilla shook her head and chuckled, only to stop abruptly as the girl bolted after her and leapt in front of her.

"Who're they for?" she demanded to know.

"Excuse me?"

"Who. Are. They. For?" she repeated slower.

"No one."

"Oh, come on… They're obviously for someone. You wouldn't steal them for yourself," she pointed out. "So who are they for?"

"A girl," Carmilla reluctantly responded. She'd hoped the answer would get this girl off her back, but if anything, it made her even more curious.

"What's her name?"

"None of your business."

"It is now because you have my flowers, which _are_ my business," Laura reasoned. "What's her name?"

"It's not important," Carmilla blurted. She immediately felt as if she'd betrayed Ell and called her unimportant. She sighed and gave in and answered, " _Ell_."

"Oh, that's a pretty name. My name starts with an L. It's Laura," the girl introduced herself. Carmilla ignored her and kept walking and, much to her dismay, Laura kept up with her. "She must be beautiful."

"Yeah," was Carmilla's curt reply.

"I want to meet this Helen of Troy. Granted she's not causing a thousand-ship war, but still…" Laura trailed off before declaring without inhibition, "I'm coming with you."

Carmilla stopped abruptly and Laura continued on for a few steps without her before noticing her companion's absence.

"Um, no. You're not," Carmilla told her firmly.

"Um, yes. I am," Laura insisted. "This Ell must be the most gorgeous girl in the world to warrant petty flower theft and I want to meet her."

"Laura—no."

"Laura, yes."

"Why would you want to come with me? I'm a thief—you said it yourself. What if I murder you for your blood and leave you on the side of the road?"

"If flowers are all you're stealing, I doubt you're going to drain me of all my blood."

"You don't know anything about me—"

"You're right. I don't," Laura admitted, though it didn't seem to faze her. "So let's start with your name."

"None of your business," Carmilla muttered as she started walking again.

"Oh, you and your girlfriend have the same name?" Laura answered facetiously. " _Seriously_."

"If I told you my name, I wouldn't be a very good thief now would I, cupcake?"

"True…" Laura paused as she mulled it over. "Tell ya what. You give me your name and you can have the flowers."

"I already _have_ the flowers," Carmilla growled through clenched teeth.

"That is also true," Laura nodded. "I did not think that one through."

"I can tell," Carmilla retorted. She waited a beat before saying, "If I give you my name, will you go away?"

"Mm…" Laura thought about it. "That sounds fair."

"Alright. My name's Mircalla."

Carmilla waited a few seconds, but Laura didn't turn around or even stop. She just kept on going with Carmilla.

"Why're you still following me?"

"Because I know that's not really your name."

"Yeah, it is."

"See, for some reason I don't believe you. And trust me, your status as a flower thief has nothing to do with this."

"Oh, it doesn't, huh?"

"Nope."

"You just don't know when to quit, do you, cupcake?"

" _Name_."

"Alright, alright. It's Carmilla."

"There! See? That wasn't so hard."

"You can go now," Carmilla reminded her.

"I could…" Laura nodded. "But I won't."

"We agreed—"

"Uh-uh. I said it sounded fair. I never said I agreed to it."

"Clever," Carmilla admitted. "But don't think it's too late for me to kill you for your blood and leave you on the side of the road."

"I think I'll be okay with running that risk."

There was a moment of silence before Carmilla sighed and replied, "Well, I can see you're not planning on going anywhere else anytime soon."

"Excellent observation."

"So can you at least walk _next_ to me and not follow behind me like an ugly duckling?"

"Are you calling me a swan?"

Carmilla looked at her with annoyance and sarcastically answered, "Yes, Laura. I'm calling you a large, long-necked waterbird that eats various types of vegetation and insects."

"Does she like violets?" Laura inquired.

"How the hell should I know what kind of flowers swans prefer?"

"I meant Ell."

The name pierced Carmilla's heart like a dagger.

"Yeah," she managed. "She likes violets."

"Me too," Laura sighed dreamily. "You know, when I actually _have_ and can _see_ them in my garden."

Carmilla hesitated before spitting out an apology.

"Sorry."

"It's fine. What's done is done," Laura told her. "So tell me more about Ell. How did you guys meet? What's her favorite color? What's she like? Do you love her—"

"Laura," Carmilla cut her off sternly.

"I'm sorry. That last one was a bit out of line. But I want answers to the rest."

"Well, you're not going to get them."

"So we're just going to walk in silence?"

"Yeah. It's what I would've been doing if you hadn't so kindly invited yourself as my travel companion."

"Oh come on, _Carm_ …" Laura nudged her playfully. The nickname in combination with the unexpected contact sent chills down Carmilla's spine. "Give me something."

"My mother set us up," Carmilla shrugged. "That's when I first saw her."

"But…?"

"But the first time I _met_ her… Now that's a different story," Carmilla began. "I'd already been her friend for quite some time…"

 **•••**

"Are you alone?" Carmilla called to Ell, who sat on a mossy rock with her head cradled in her hands. Her head shot up and she sprung to her feet with a wild look in her eyes before relaxing at the sight of Carmilla.

" _God_ … You frightened me," she gasped and sat back down. "I heard rustling in the bushes—I feared you were a creature stalking me."

"I hate to disappoint," Carmilla remarked as she approached her slowly. "Did your friends leave you?"

"No… I came here on my own accord."

"Ah," Carmilla responded and sat on the damp ground beside her. "Well, you know… It's not safe in these woods with all these creatures lurking about. Creatures with far better eyesight than you…"

"I suppose you are right… We were having a bonfire and it was wonderful, until they began getting drunk and acting foolish, so I left."

"Who needs them anyway?"

"Agreed," Ell nodded and chuckled softly.

"Will you be all right out here by yourself?" Carmilla stupidly asked as she stood up. The inquiry was ironic as Carmilla was one of the things Ell had to worry about, but she knew it was customary to ask.

"Yes."

Carmilla looked at her once more and hesitantly took a few steps.

"Actually—"

Carmilla froze the moment she'd heard any sound from Ell's mouth.

"Will you stay with me?"

Carmilla nodded—though she hadn't planned to really leave Ell. She'd simply conceal herself in the nearby bushes until Ell had gotten to safety.

"Of course," Carmilla answered and rejoined her. They sat in a peaceful silence for a few moments, absorbing each other's presence and the forest's tranquil atmosphere.

"Do you want to see something?" Ell suddenly inquired and Carmilla nodded. Ell stood up and took the unsuspecting Carmilla's hand as she led her away from the rock and to a clearing. Carmilla swallowed and looked at their hands; Ell's was so soft and gentle and Carmilla felt a sense of loss when she took hers back. Ell lifted a finger to her mouth, signaling for Carmilla to be quiet and whispered, "Stay here."

Carmilla obediently stayed in place as she watched Ell walk farther away. She wondered what the girl had in mind. Ell seemed to be looking for something as she kept to staring at the ground as she walked. Finally she looked up and signaled for Carmilla to go over to her.

"I had to count my steps to get to the center of this field," Ell explained quietly. "And I couldn't concentrate with you next to me."

Carmilla's eyebrows shot up at the comment, but she didn't reply.

"W-What I mean is… I'd have started counting your steps as well as mine," Ell clarified. It was then Carmilla noticed a particularly pungent floral aroma. Ell gestured to the many violets that grew in seemingly random patches across the clearing. "Beautiful, isn't it? It is even more so in the morning…"

Carmilla stared at the flowers and wondered why Ell would bring her to them. Did she know the connotations that went with them?

Ell sat down amongst them and reached up for Carmilla's hand before pulling her down to her level and pulling her in close.

"Have you ever looked at the stars?" Ell asked.

"Yes."

"I mean really _looked_ at them," Ell continued as she pointed to the sky above. "Haven't you ever wondered what they are?"

"I heard they might be like the sun, only farther away."

"So that's it? You're going to accept that?"

"I don't know what else they could be. That's the only thing that would make sense."

"Lie with me," Ell demanded, catching Carmilla off guard.

"Pardon?"

"Lie down," Ell instructed and Carmilla did so. Ell lay back next to her and they stared at the mysterious lights dancing before their eyes.

"What are we—"

"Wait," Ell simply told her. Carmilla shut up and looked at the sky. They waited for whatever Ell had spoken of for at least a half hour. Carmilla was ready to speak again when a streak of light caught her eye. "If they truly are miniature suns… Why do they sometimes run?"

"I don't… I don't know," Carmilla realized.

"Well, I have a theory."

"You do?" Carmilla mused.

"I think they're spirits. All-knowing spirits. And they can see into the future and they know what's in store for all of us."

"Sounds like black magic."

"No, I don't mean like the zodiac. I mean as a collective group. Each star or so is assigned to a person on this earth. And it, the star I mean, watches over the person until he or she dies."

"What happens to the star when the person dies?"

"Well…it gets a new friend."

"That's a nice theory," Carmilla remarked. "But it doesn't explain why they run."

"I was getting there. They run when they're excited—I think they're quite childish in essence, wouldn't you think? Only an innocent child could shine like that all the time."

"So the star we just saw…"

"Was excited about something," Ell nodded.

"I wonder what about."

"Well, I think stars are excited by pure felicity. And love," Ell answered. "And if neither of those, perhaps it does so to remind us to be happy and give us hope for our futures."

"I wonder who's falling in love tonight," Carmilla mindlessly chuckled.

"You didn't let me finish. Part of my belief is that the stars make themselves known to their subjects at one point or another…" Ell vehemently commented, causing Carmilla's laughter to subside. "So it was either yours or mine."

Carmilla turned her head to look at Ell, who mirrored her only seconds after and they stayed like that, staring at each other.

"You know…" Carmilla whispered as she lost all her inhibitions. "I think that star may have been mine…"

Ell reached over and tucked a lock of Carmilla's dark hair behind her ear and sighed contentedly as she replied, "That's funny… Because I was about to say the exact same thing…"

Ell reached over Carmilla and she heard a stem snap as Ell plucked a single violet from the ground and admired it before tucking it in Carmilla's hair.

"So, tell me about yourself, Ms. Carmilla Karnstein…" Ell breathed as she nestled into her. "I want to know everything. What was your childhood like? What was the best day of your life?"

"I grew up in… Austria," Carmilla told her, deciding to keep things vague. "With a brother and a sister, William and Matska. William was the youngest and I the middle child. Him and I never got along too well… I think he tried too hard to please Mother, but he never could compare to me in her eyes. And as for Matska… She and I had some good times. We got into trouble quite often, but it was worth it every time. We, the family, moved around a lot, but that was nothing for us. We had money and we loved the change in scenery. We made many friends along the way."

"And now you're here," Ell murmured to her.

"And now we're here," Carmilla echoed.

"Do you know if you'll be staying?"

"Mother, William, and Matska, included?" Carmilla responded and she felt Ell nod. "No, I don't know. I hope."

Ell went quiet.

"If Mother decides she wants to move again… I might just stay anyway."

"Might?"

"Well, I'd need a reason to want to stay."

"I see," Ell replied. "Doesn't moving around so much get lonely?"

Carmilla felt the stars bore holes into her as she stared up at them, trying to neutralize the sudden onset of tears prickling behind her eyes.

"Sometimes," she finally admitted and felt herself cave. She cleared her throat and began the response to the second question. "And as for the best day of my life…"

Carmilla trailed off to think for a bit. There wasn't a single day in her past she'd lived that really stuck out to her. She'd had numerous good days, but none of them more special than others. She lay there and thought about it for a good ten minutes or so before finally admitting to herself what the best day of her life was.

"I think I'm living it…" she whispered. She waited a few seconds and when she didn't get a response, she looked down at Ell and found her sleeping soundly. She boldly kissed Ell's forehead and settled back to her previous position to look at the stars again. And just as she looked up at the stars, she spotted a bright streak across the sky. "Well, would you look at that?"

Carmilla chuckled quietly to herself as she listened to Ell's steady breathing.

"I think I just found my star."

Unbeknownst to Carmilla, Ell smiled though barely awake, and Carmilla snuggled up close to her, trapping their heat and falling asleep alongside her.


	2. Chapter 2: Ell

"We used to race through the woods on our horses..."

And just like that, Carmilla was once again lost in her nostalgia. She spoke as if it had been centuries ago, but its vividness made it seem that it had to have been recent.

"I had a _beautiful_ mare with an alabaster body and jet-black hair. I named her Selene, after the goddess of the moon... And Ell's was a majestic steed with a chestnut body and black hair as well. His name was Charles, after her grandfather, who'd gifted him to her on his deathbed. And despite him being a male, his hair was always braided."

Carmilla allowed a small smile to cross her face.

"Ell loved that horse," she continued, gazing much further than the simple crosswalk ahead. "And she went undefeated in our innumerable races in the forest. Admittedly, I let her win more than a couple times. I just loved to take everything in. The smell of the pine combined with cedar and oak... The wind whipping through my hair and the branches just barely touching my head. And there was a clearing where you could look out and you felt like you were on top of the world; everything was yours and at your fingertips. But my favorite view was that which lay ahead. Her and her horse, gliding as one unit in front of me, her hair streaming freely behind her, and her smile… It was always at its largest when she won."

"Did she know?"

"No..." Carmilla smiled sadly. "I don't think she ever did."

Carmilla stopped abruptly and Laura looked up and saw why; they had arrived at a cemetery.

" _Oh!_ " Laura blurted before she could help herself. She'd assumed, rightfully so, that they had been on their way to see someone, well, alive. And to think she'd insisted on tagging along for such a journey. She felt shitty. "Carmilla, I'm– I'm so sorry—I didn't know... I mean, I guess I should've because you spoke in the past tense—but everything happens in the past tense, even my speaking now—"

Carmilla shook her head, ending Laura's rambling and silently letting her know that the apology was not necessary. It turned out that she secretly enjoyed having her company.

"Well... I guess... I guess this is it," Laura breathed as Carmilla stepped through the wrought iron threshold. "I won't follow you past here."

Carmilla stopped and looked back at her with a softness that penetrated deep into Laura's soul; she almost started crying for some unknown reason. It was as if she could feel the very pain that afflicted Carmilla, which was a ridiculous notion as she'd only known her for a half hour or so and most of her knowledge pertaining to her identity revolved around flower theft. And yet, it seemed that some part of Carmilla had attached itself to her.

"I-I want you to come with me."

Laura wasn't sure she'd heard her correctly as Carmilla had come off as aloof and such a request would be the polar opposite of her very being. But she found herself stepping through the invisible barrier and joining Carmilla at her side before they both began a slow trek through the various headstones.

"There... There's something I should tell you," Carmilla remarked quietly. Her voice contained an edge which was new to Laura. She braced herself—for what, she had no clue, but still she prepared herself for whatever it was that was about to leave Carmilla's mouth. Carmilla's lips parted as if she were about to say it, but she seemed to change her mind and simply held out a hand for Laura to take.

Laura hesitantly took it and allowed Carmilla to guide her toward a beautifully polished looking headstone with a fresh grave in front of it. She suddenly became aware that she'd tightened her grip on Carmilla, but she couldn't quite make herself loosen it.

Their pace slowed and Laura anticipated stopping at the foot of the grave, but instead found herself being yanked sharply to the left of it and stopping next to an older stone—and much older it was.

The stone looked like it had to have been there for a century, worn down and crooked due to weathering; during which time, it had since assumed the role of something like a growing stake for some unidentifiable weed, which had coiled itself around the stone and taken it over. She could barely even make the name out let alone the dates.

"This is Ell," Carmilla sighed as she gestured to the cold stone. Laura looked on in silence. She noticed a cluster of violets—her last bunch before the ones that Carmilla had intended to steal today—that were on their way out before her eyes went to the ones in Carmilla's hands. She suddenly didn't care so much about them anymore. "You can talk, Laura, it's not like she's sleeping."

Carmilla's comment was unexpected and it drew a nervous laugh from Laura, much to her dismay, and she worried Carmilla would take it as disrespectful.

"I'm... sorry."

"Yeah. So am I," Carmilla murmured as she got down and began removing the old violets.

"Would you, uh... Would you like some help?" Laura inquired, but Carmilla shook her head.

"This is my burden to bear," she answered as she set the wilting violets aside and began to replace them with the newer ones.

Once she was finished, she looked at the dirt covering her hands and stood up as she said, "I'm going to go rinse this off."

Laura was stuck. Was she supposed to follow Carmilla to the water spigot or stay by the gravesite. She chose the latter as Carmilla left her and Ell alone.

She eyed the stone and stooped to brush the dirt off and pull at the weed clinging onto it for, quite literally, dear life. She felt it was the least she could do. She dusted the stone off some more and found that it made the engraving more legible; her eyes dropped to read the text:

 ** _Beloved Daughter  
_** ** _ELL KEVAY  
_** ** _1854 – 1872  
May God grant you eternal rest._**


	3. Chapter 3: The Discovery

The dates shattered the heavy atmosphere and Laura did a double take. It did indeed read as years from the 1800s—though they still wouldn't have made much sense had they been from the 1900s. She nearly fell over backwards just as Carmilla returned.

"What are you doing?" she demanded to know. "Why did you touch that?"

"I- I just wanted to clear the stone off. You know, out of respect—"

"Respect _me_. I'm the living one. You shouldn't have touched that—"

"Who is she really?" Laura interrupted, catching her footing and standing upright. She took a step toward Carmilla. "Were you lying to me this entire time?"

Now it was Carmilla's turn to be caught off guard.

"N-No—"

"You know, you really had me going. I was really starting to buy into this lost love deal and to think I was going to let the whole flower theft thing go," Laura shook her head. "Well, now I see who you really are. A _pathetic_ , _thieving_ , _twisted liar_."

"Laura—"

"I can't believe someone like you even exists!" she threw her hands up in frustration. "Have you no conscience?"

"Laura, that was what I was going to tell you before we came in here!" Carmilla raised her voice and it echoed off the cemetery's graves. She lowered her volume and continued, "This is going to sound... so stupid—"

"It can't be worse than what I already know."

"Laura, hear me out. And I do mean hear me out. I need you to keep an open mind about this—"

"Just spit it out, would you?"

"I wasn't... _lying_ to you," Carmilla began.

"Oh. Right. Of _course_ not. You were _clearly_ alive in the nineteenth century. Excuse me," Laura remarked facetiously.

"But that's the thing..." Carmilla went on. "I _was_."

"Where did you say you escaped from?"

"Laura—"

"Oops, sorry. I meant came from?"

"I told you to keep an open mind about this—"

"I am. But what you're asking me to believe is a load of crap."

Carmilla sighed sharply and sucked her teeth with frustration before meeting Laura's judgmental gaze.

"You leave me no choice," Carmilla remarked with a low, dangerous tone. Laura suddenly looked afraid and she backed up a few steps.

"Whoa, whoa, hey!" she put her hands up defensively. "I was just kidding."

"No, you weren't..." Carmilla corrected her, advancing more rapidly. She ran her tongue over her teeth and she began to feel a familiar ache in her gums.

"I was! Hey, if you say you were alive in the eighteenth century—"

" _Nineteenth_ _cen_ —" Carmilla began through clenched teeth.

" _Nineteenth_ century, then I believe you."

Unfortunately, Laura's desperate tone was less than credible and she knew that, so she gave up stalling and took to running.

However, Carmilla was prepared and started sprinting after her just as her canine teeth slid down further, adopting a more animalistic appearance.

When Laura went to take a sharp left turn down a small hill, Carmilla's arm shot out and she hooked the girl by some of her shirt, but was yanked forward as Laura struggled to get free. Carmilla, who hadn't anticipated such a move, found herself hurtling toward Laura at an uncontrollable speed and ended up crashing into her and taking her down anyway in the process. Down the hill they tumbled, a most ungraceful sight.

Carmilla grew tired of the clumsy journey toward the base of the hill and so she reached out with one hand—the other was preoccupied with tightly gripping Laura, who was somehow underneath her so she couldn't get away—and dug her fingers into the earth, slowing them down and eventually bringing them to a halt. She gritted her teeth as she felt the dirt collecting underneath her nails and Laura's eyes immediately went to her mouth—specifically her fangs, which had poked out at some point.

"Please don't kill me..." Laura pleaded breathlessly. Her voice carried a slight hint of fear, but her eyes contained a fascination that entranced Carmilla for a good moment.

"Relax, _creampuff_..." Carmilla rolled her eyes and broke the silence once she'd gathered herself and her surroundings. Her fangs had disappeared by this time. "I'm not going to kill you."

She grunted softly as she pushed herself off Laura and rolled to the side, settling next to her as she brushed her hands off.

"If I was going to kill you, I would have done it by now," she smirked and stood up. "Besides... I thought we established that since I was a mere flower thief, I was most likely nonviolent."

She held out a hand to help Laura up.

"Yeah, well, I'm feeling the 'most likely' part right now," Laura retorted as she eyed her mysterious acquaintance and stood up by herself, ignoring Carmilla's hand. "What's with the large teeth?"

"All the better to eat you with, my dear..." Carmilla replied in a husky voice. Her smirk was too much and Laura averted her gaze. "And again, that's what I was going to tell you before we came in here. You know, the thing that required an open mind... I'm a vampire."

"Open your mouth," Laura commanded. Carmilla sighed, but still complied. When Laura reached up toward her mouth, Carmilla snapped her jaw shut.

"I don't recall you saying that you were certified to be poking around in people's mouths."

"If we're going to get technical, your latest claim is not to be a person, but a vampire so... I don't recall there needing to _be_ a certification for that," Laura shot back.

"Touché," Carmilla answered and opened her mouth once again, never taking her eyes off Laura, who was looking around for the signature fangs, but couldn't find any. "Find what you're looking for?"

"No."

Carmilla shrugged and allowed her fangs to drop back down and scare Laura in the process, who jumped back as if she'd been stung.

"How about now?"

"Jerk," Laura muttered as she inspected Carmilla's teeth. "I have to give it to you. Your presentation of these teeth was impressive. But sadly, I know all the parlor tricks. I was a vampire for three Halloweens in a row—"

"Big fan, hm?" Carmilla smirked, but Laura paid no attention.

"—the only thing I can't quite believe is how symmetrical and straight you got these teeth to be. I fumbled with that sticky blue putty glue for a half hour on each tooth and they still weren't nearly as realistic as these," Laura poked at them and Carmilla resisted the urge to snap her mouth shut on her finger.

"That's because these ones are real, genius..."

Without warning, Laura's fingers clamped down on Carmilla's left canine tooth and she pulled in vain.

"Wow..." she breathed as she tugged harder. Carmilla suppressed a laugh. "What the hell kind of glue did you use?"

"No glue. _Real_. Wanna test them out?"

"What, did you like superglue these on?" Laura asked as she yanked at it some more, completely ignoring Carmilla's answers. "That's not very safe..."

Carmilla's hand shot up and grabbed Laura's wrist, forcing it out of her mouth and stared at her.

"You know what's not safe? Sticking your hand in someone else's mouth—" Carmilla spat on the ground in an attempt to get the salty human taste from Laura's finger out of her mouth. It was bitter. "And admittedly, neither is _letting_ someone stick her hand in your mouth. But that's beside the point."

"Having extra-long teeth doesn't prove anything," Laura told her as she snatched her arm back. "Maybe you were born with some sort of dental abnormality."

"A perfectly symmetrical dental abnormality?"

"Maybe."

"Tell you what. If you happen to be carrying novocaine, I'll let you pull on my teeth some more. But until that's supplied—"

"No pulling on your teeth. Got it," Laura nodded once. "So what else ya got? Fake blood stored somewhere? Don't even bother. Everyone knows it's food coloring and corn syrup."

"I, for one, didn't know that," Carmilla paused. "Can't you just take my word for it?"

"Then I'd be gullible."

"Look, you're not on _Prank'd_ , this isn't a joke, and—whatever else that'll quell your insecurities of being unknowing."

"Fine... Let's say I believe you. When were you born?"

"1690."

Carmilla watched Laura's eyes grow distant as she did some mental math and when they widened as she approached the sum, she knew Laura had come back.

"You're... _old_."

" _Thanks_ ," Carmilla answered flatly.

"And Ell was born in..." Laura trailed off.

"1854," Carmilla replied.

"And you met her in..."

"1872."

"And she died..."

"That same year," Carmilla paused. "Can we stop with the fill-in-the-blank thing we have going on? It's weirding me out."

"Right, sorry. So—and I don't mean to be insensitive, but... That means the next question is..." Laura faded off again, waiting for Carmilla to complete her thought, but this time, Carmilla didn't know what it was.

"Is...?" Carmilla echoed and Laura gave up on trying to beat around the bush.

"Did she die because you killed her?" she quickly asked. "I'm sorry, I just find it strange that you met her and she just happened to died later that year."

"In retrospect, I should've seen that coming..." Carmilla admitted. "No, I didn't kill her."

"What happened?"

"We were..." a heavy sigh escaped from Carmilla's lips. "Always so careful. _Always_ so careful—my mother didn't care. She never was bigoted in such ways. But Ell's parents... We would have been viewed as demons, doomed and sentenced to eternal damnation. We were hellbound. So we made sure to keep our love for each other under wraps. So extremely careful..."

"But...?"

"We weren't careful enough."

 **•••**

"Ell, I thought we raised you better than this. Just last night I overheard you reciting your prayers, and today I come home to you and this _abominable_ tramp doing—I cannot even allow such sin to leave my mouth!" Ell's mother exclaimed shrilly as she crossed herself.

"Mama, please don't call her a tramp—"

"Well, you _refuse_ to tell me her name—"

"Because I _know_ you will ruin her!" Ell blurted. Her mother looked as if she'd been slapped. Ell's voice cracked, but she pushed on. "You will _soil_ her reputation, Mother. Hers and her family's... And you know it. But I won't let you, Mother. I won't let you."

Ell's mother scowled and opened her mouth to speak, but Ell continued.

"You can do whatever you like to me, Mother..." she cried. "Hit me, arrest me, burn me—I don't _care!_ Hurt me in whatever way you wish. But for the love of _God—_ "

Ell's mother tensed at the mention of God; such righteousness and purity should not have to be in the same context as the perverse sin her daughter had committed that very night.

"—don't touch her," Ell whispered and shook her head. "Don't touch her."

"I do not wish to hurt you," her mother softened. "But I cannot stand for this."

Ell accepted her defeat and braced herself for whatever was to come next.

"You will not leave this house without the supervision of your father or myself. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Mother."

"If I ever even catch you on the same street as that _tramp_ …" she trailed off and the fire behind her eyes seemed to die; she couldn't finish her sentence and part of it was because she doesn't know what she would do and the other part of it was that she had no will to fight. She couldn't accept what her daughter had done, but she also couldn't accept the repercussions she knew that would be expected to be delivered on her part.

"I shall put myself to sleep without dinner lest I cause you any further heartache," Ell declared brokenly.

"Yes, you go do that..." her mother sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Ell hung her head and trudged by. Just as she made her way out, she heard the faintest of a whisper from her mother; a small, sorrowful, almost apologetic, "Goodnight."

Ell took a deep breath and closed her eyes; a single tear slipped out, and she wiped it away as she started the climb up the stairs to her room. She closed door gently behind her self and exhaled heavily.

"I'm sorry," a soft voice apologized from a dark corner in her room. Ell's eyes shot up at the sound and they brightened as they focused on the girl her mother had caught her with.

"Carmilla?" she whispered excitedly and ran over to hug her. Carmilla welcomed her with open arms and clung to her. "I thought you'd fled!"

"Never from you, my darling..." she murmured deep into Ell's brunette locks of hair. She closed her eyes and savored Ell's sweet scent, ignoring the tinge of sadness that'd found its way in. "I'm sorry for getting you into trouble."

"It wasn't your fault," Ell told her as she reluctantly broke the hug. "I should have been more careful—"

"So should I," Carmilla admitted as she fiddled with a pendant around her neck. She blamed herself for allowing her love for Ell to render her senseless. Had she not been distracted, she would have heard her mother come home early and the entire discovery could have been prevented.

"I take it you heard every word my mother said," Ell sighed.

"I did," Carmilla nodded slowly.

"What shall we do?"

Carmilla had no answer and Ell picked up on this immediately, nodding in surrender.

"You didn't come to say hello, did you?" Ell realized aloud.

Carmilla swallowed the lump in her throat and silently shook her head.

"No. I did not," Carmilla finally managed, her voice thick with emotion.

"So this is goodbye, isn't it?" Ell inquired with a dull look inside her eyes.

Tears welled in Carmilla's eyes; she didn't even have the heart to nod. Instead she clenched her jaw and forced herself to stare Ell down, rather than caving into her desire to just walk away without another word.

Ell's face broke into an expression of agonizing pain and she broke down completely, weeping in front of Carmilla, who was busy blinking back her own tears.

"Get out..." Ell weakly commanded as she wiped at her eyes. She didn't even look at Carmilla.

"Ell—" Carmilla's breath caught in her throat. "I _love_ you..."

"I said. Get. _Out!_ " she hissed and shoved Carmilla backward before collapsing to the floor and sobbing aloud.

"I won't leave like this," Carmilla told her adamantly, kneeling by her side. Ell looked up at her and Carmilla raised her hand to wipe her tears away. "I _love_ you, Ell Kevay. Nothing will ever change that."

"And I you," Ell replied quietly as Carmilla wrapped an arm around her.

"So much, in fact, that I wish to make you my wife," Carmilla told her vehemently. "But we both know that won't happen in this era. Or even in the next. So you have to promise me that... in another lifetime... you will find me again, and you will make my wish a reality."

Ell nodded.

"Do you promise?" Carmilla asked as she took Ell's hand.

"I promise," she whispered. Carmilla forced a smile and removed the necklace she'd had around her neck and placed it gingerly in Ell's hand, closing her fingers over it.

"Take this. It's my family's coat of arms, but it is also a reminder of my promise to you."

Ell squeezed the pendant and closed her eyes.

"I won't forget you, Ell. I will search for you in all of my lifetimes until we are reunited, and even after that when we are separated once again in death," Carmilla vowed. "I will never stop looking."

Ell simply nodded wordlessly and watched as Carmilla turned toward her window to leave. When she looked back, Ell was preoccupied with the nails in the floorboards and so she let herself out without another word.

 **•••**

"You just... _left?_ "

"I left for her safety," Carmilla nodded. "And my own... I cannot deny that. I was a coward. Whether it was right to do that or not... I still don't know. But I do know that I caused her more pain than was worth the hypothetical safety. I hinged everything on a security that I couldn't even guarantee... I was so stupid! But it was what I felt was the right thing to do at the time, but I couldn't stay away. I loved her too much."

"So you went back to see her?"

"I... never had truly left. I kept watch over her from a distance. She never knew I was there. It was better that way."

Laura remained in a pensive silence.

"But we did see each other... From time to time," Carmilla told her. "Whenever we could."

•••

"How have you been? They haven't hurt you, have they?" Carmilla asked. From a distance, it seemed as though she weren't talking to anyone, which was the aim of the setup she and Ell had arranged. She would sit on one side of a small fountain located in the town square and Ell would sit on the other side. It looked completely innocent to an outsider.

"No, they haven't. My mother has not even delivered the news to my father yet. I think she is waiting for a more proper time. It isn't something you can simply announce at any given moment," Ell replied.

"Ell, if either of them lay a hand on you or even make a move to, you tell me."

"I will," Ell answered.

"Please," Carmilla insisted. "And through God's grace may I gain the ability to hear you from any distance."

"Carmilla..." Ell stopped.

"Yes, my darling?"

"I would like to see you. Maybe not now, but eventually. Although this fountain is beautiful, it cannot compare to a human face."

"Perhaps we can meet in the field where we were acquainted with our stars," Carmilla responded softly. "Would that be all right with you?"

"Yes. In two days."

"Two days..." Carmilla echoed. She paused as she heard Ell rise to her feet before saying, "Goodnight, my love."

Ell never responded.


	4. Chapter 4: Stay

"Ell, don't play with your food," her mother scolded before begging, "Darling, please eat..."

Ell glared at her before resuming to a neutral look in the split second before her dad glanced over at her.

"What's the matter, not feeling well?" he inquired with sincere concern. Ell shrugged and moved the food on her plate around with her fork again. He looked over at her mother and said, "Don't make the girl eat if she doesn't want to. Ell, perhaps you should go lie down and rest. Hopefully you will feel better and eat later or tomorrow."

Ell looked at her mother, who looked as if she might burst, but saw that she decided to keep quiet and simply nod in agreement with her husband.

"I hate to waste food..." her mother sighed.

"Nonsense. Ell, wrap it in a rag and throw it out. Some animal will gladly take it, I'm sure."

Ell obliged and took the makeshift sack of food toward the door while her parents remained seated.

She feigned tossing it out and tucked it into her dress before returning to the kitchen to announce, "I am going to bed. I will see you both in the morning."

Her father nodded and watched her walk upstairs as the mother took his hand as if she were about to tell him some sensitive information. Ell quickened her pace and closed the door behind herself. She sat down on the floor, unwrapped her meal, and began to eat with the fork she'd smuggled away from the table as well.

"That looks good," Carmilla commented as she emerged from a dark corner in the room with her arms crossed, causing Ell to jolt out of surprise. She jumped to her feet only to find she recognized the owner of the voice.

"God! You frightened me!" Ell exclaimed as relief washed over her. "How many times must I tell you not to do that? Or at the very least give me a warning?"

"You know how I love to make you gasp," Carmilla smirked, stepping closer.

"I- I thought we were meeting in the field in two days," Ell blushed.

"I couldn't wait that long," Carmilla grinned. "Although, this encounter now does not cancel that one, I hope you know."

Ell shook her head and patted the space on the floor next to her.

"That looks good," Carmilla repeated as she gestured to the food and sat down. "What is that? Pork?"

"It's my dinner," Ell answered with an adoring smile. "Would you like some?"

"No, I'm simply curious."

"I believe it is pork. It's fresh. Are you sure you don't want some?"

"Yes. You need to eat," Carmilla nodded. "But thank you."

"How do you do that, by the way?" Ell inquired as she lifted the fork to her mouth and ate. "Sneak in here."

"I have my ways," Carmilla told her mysteriously. "And my ways are secret."

Ell nodded at continued eating with Carmilla watching in silence and, unbeknownst to Ell, eavesdropping on her parents' conversation:

 _Darling, we need to talk..._

 _Yes, we do. I am terribly concerned about the wellbeing of our daughter. She hasn't eaten much in a week._

 _Darling, you should know... She is an adolescent now. You know how difficult those years can be. I know when I was her age, I did not know much about the world or how it works. I was very confused. But I have faith that she will become right in due time. Just have a little patience._

 _You speak as if she has an affliction..._

Silence at the table.

 _We all have our... afflictions. Some people's are different from other's, but still. We all have them—_

 _If she is ill, I would like to know._

 _She is not ill— Well... I do not believe she is ill—_

"What are you thinking about?" Ell asked, suddenly breaking the silence and Carmilla's concentration.

"Nothing," Carmilla told her quietly, knowing she'd just missed a key topic in the conversation taking place downstairs.

"Don't give me that..." Ell teased. "You had a look on your face."

"I was thinking about how much I love you," Carmilla lied. Ell stared at her for a moment with a serious look on her face before bursting out laughing.

"You are a _terrible_ liar, you know that?"

"Only to you," Carmilla replied.

"Right, right. Only to me," Ell smiled at her. Carmilla could feel the adoration radiating from her. "Carmilla... It's getting late—"

"Oh, right. Sorry. I will be on my way," Carmilla responded as she hopped to her feet. Ell stood up next to her and grabbed her hand just as she turned to leave.

"I wasn't saying that I wanted you to leave," Ell informed Carmilla. Her voice carried a slightly assertive time as if her statement had been a command. She stepped closer to Carmilla and looked up into her eyes. "In fact, I was saying quite the opposite..."

Carmilla looked at her carefully.

"You've said it yourself in the past that it is dangerous for a girl to be outside at such a late hour..."

"Ell, I can't… I can't stay," Carmilla reluctantly told her. "I'm not supposed to be here in the first place—"

"But you already are—why not just stretch it further?"

"Because," Carmilla responded, though she had no answer.

"I bet it's _cold_ outside..." Ell thought aloud.

"I really like my sleep," Carmilla remarked, though she made no move to leave. Ell took this as an innuendo.

"We can sleep," she chuckled, unaware of the statement's true meaning.

Carmilla knew better. Ell could sleep, but Carmilla would not be able to. She would have to stay up the entire night listening for Ell's parents' footsteps in case they decided to come and check on her at some point.

"Fine..." Carmilla caved (as usual) and went to sit on Ell's bed. "But only because you're warmer than the outside air."

"See? There are a few perks to me," Ell commented victoriously.

"Two _really_ great perks," Carmilla joked as her gaze momentarily landed on Ell's chest.

"You can see them up close and personal, if you so desire..." Ell teased as she unfastened a part of her dress.

"And I _do_ so desire..." Carmilla hummed with a smirk as she rose to her feet and went over to Ell.

"Ell, are you talking to someone?" her mother inquired as the door swung open. "Who?"

Ell's heart sank and she braced herself for the explosive reaction her mother was guaranteed to give.

Silence.

When Ell looked up, her mother still stood in the doorway, impatiently waiting for a response.

"Aren't you going to answer me?" she asked.

"I–" Ell spun around and found Carmilla to be gone. She'd somehow managed to disappear in the split second of her mother's arrival.

"Ell, you are starting to worry me," her mother informed her. "I do not want to lock you away in a madhouse, but if that is where you belong, then so be it—"

"I was talking, no, singing. Humming. To myself," Ell recovered. Her mother's eyes narrowed skeptically, but she didn't respond.

"If you are going to bed, please say goodnight to your father at the very least," her mother sighed. "He thinks you are unwell and is deeply upset."

"Yes, Mother."

"Goodnight."

The door closed once again and Ell immediately scanned her room for Carmilla, quietly calling out for her.

"Carm?" she whispered and peeked under the bed.

No Carmilla.

"Carmilla?" she repeated and checked in her closet.

No Carmilla.

She even checked the darkest corner of her room, but still Carmilla was nowhere to be found. She sighed and turned around, almost bumping into a grinning Carmilla, and jumped.

"God!" she exclaimed. "I _hate_ you."

"I hate you too," Carmilla smirked stretched slightly to kiss her.

"Double the secrets," Ell remarked. "You are able to sneak in here _and_ hide yourself in impossible time."

"I am amazing, I am aware."

"Where were you?" Ell wondered aloud. "I don't see how you could be hidden yourself in here so well and so quickly..."

"I was... in your closet."

"I checked there. You were not in my closet."

"You didn't see me?"

"Carmilla, I know you're lying."

"How about under the bed. Did you check there?"

"Yes."

"Hm," Carmilla paused. "I don't know where I was. We should figure it out together. Let's start with the top of the bed, as I am sure you neglected to check there."

Ell glanced at her with a chastising look.

"Carm, I know what you're doing..."

"Is it working?" Carmilla flashed an angelic smile at her, and Ell nodded with sweet resignation.

"No," she stuck her tongue out.

"Damn it."

"I'm going to say goodnight to my father," Ell notified her. "I shall return in a moment."

Carmilla nodded and watched Ell leave before she settled on her bed and stared at the ceiling above.

 _Goodnight, Father._

 _Goodnight, Ell. I hope you feel better in the morning._

 _Thank you._

 _Ell—if there is something wrong, something you are afraid to tell me... Please... If you are struggling or upset about something, tell me._

 _I will, Father._

 _I love you, Ell._

 _I love you too._

 _Goodnight._

 _Goodnight._

Carmilla heard Ell climbing the stairs and relaxed a little.

"Carm, if you are going to try to jump out at me, think again. I am prepared this time," Ell announced as she entered the room to find Carmilla lying casually on her bed. "Oh. What a pleasant surprise."

"I work as a natural heater as well. Your sheets are warm."

"How thoughtful of you," Ell chuckled as she climbed into bed. "It's so cozy..."

"Mm, it's much more cozy now that you're here," Carmilla murmured and kissed Ell's forehead.

"How nice it would be to fall asleep like this every night," Ell sighed contentedly as she nestled into Carmilla.

"A _dream_ ," Carmilla whispered.

"And how nice it would be to just get away..." Ell breathed. Carmilla could hear the sleep setting in.

"Yeah..." Carmilla responded, barely audible.

"I love you, Carmilla."

"I love _you_ , Ell..."


End file.
